The Semiotics of Belonging: A Sociolinguistic Synthesis of Onomastic Practices in Egypt | ||
| مجلة کلية الآداب جامعة الفيوم | ||
| Volume 17, Issue 1, January 2025, Pages 1537-1570 PDF (1.17 M) | ||
| Document Type: المقالة الأصلية | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jfafu.2025.425530.2310 | ||
| Author | ||
| جيهان حسن محمد علي علي* | ||
| كلية الألسن جامعة بني سويف قسم اللغة الانجليزية | ||
| Abstract | ||
| This article offers a qualitative synthesis of Egyptian onomastic conventions, examining how names simultaneously are linguistic formations and cultural texts that contain layers of history, identity, and social meaning. Egyptian names are not merely personal labels but symbolic resources whose creation is shaped by religion, class, region, and global forces. Taking a lead from sociolinguistics, pragmatics, and cultural anthropology, the study traces Egyptian naming practices through their historical layers, from Pharaonic and Greco-Roman legacies to Islamic, Ottoman, colonial, and contemporary global layers. It investigates the morphological and semantic foundations of names, teasing out root-based patterning, theophoric composition, and gendered distinction, as well as following pragmatic uses such as honorifics, teknonyms, and nicknaming in everyday interaction. The article also discusses how naming mediates identity in the context of modern change. The urban elite population now uses globalized or hybrid names to show their cosmopolitan interests yet rural and tribal communities stick to their traditional naming customs based on family lines and religious beliefs. The naming practices of males follow religious traditions yet females can choose from a wider range of names that reflect modern trends and international influences. The research examines three Egyptian communities through case studies to show how naming practices balance modern and traditional elements. The research combines theoretical concepts with specific Egyptian examples to demonstrate how Egyptian onomastics provides distinct understanding about language and cultural and identity matters. Egyptian names function as markers of social ties and cultural differences while serving as social markers that people use to show respect and closeness to others and as active statements through which people handle the tension between global influences and established customs | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Onomastics; Egyptian Arabic; naming practices | ||
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